Wrapping machine



July 26, 1938. D. M. HOUPT WRAPPING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1936 5Sheets-Sheet l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. M. HOUPT WRAPPING MACH INE Filed June2, 1956 July 26, 1938.

July 26, 1938. D. M. HoUPT WRAPPING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June2, 1955 ana/r//y//aa/af' XW.

Patented 1111926, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,125,024 WRAPPINGMACHINE Donald M. Haupt, Palestine, lll. Application 4June 2, 1938,Serial No. 83.121

8 Claims. (Cl. 93-2) This invention relates to wrapping machines and hasparticular reference to that type commonly referred to as semi-automaticbecause of the fact that a portion of the wrapping operation is manuallyperformed and the remainder is mechanically performed.

An object of the invention is to facilitate the ease and speed withwhich articles of varying size may be wrapped efficiently in such mannerl0 that they are ready for sealing as soon as removed from the machine.4

An important feature of the invention resides in a combination andarrangement of parts whereby operation of the machine is the esl senceof simplicity and the cost of production thereof is reduced to aminimum. A further important feature of the invention resides in theassociation of the various elements with one another in such way thatthe machine may lreadily be adjusted to handle articles of widelydivergent size.

While the machine illustrated and described herein is peculiarlysuitable to the wrapping of bread loaves, it-will be apparent that themechanism is operable equally satisfactorily with other articles.

Various other objects and meritorious features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following description taken in conjunction withthe drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral figures, and wherein: n

Figure 1 is a top plan view ofthe machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is an end view through the article-receiving trough;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a different stage ofthewrapping operation;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the machine,

and

Figure 6 is a section through the center of the trough.

Referring now to the drawings, the mechanism is supported upon twolongitudinally extending frame members i8 and i2 between which at spacedpoints extend stretchers I4 and I8. The stretchers are provided withrack Vteeth as indicated at I8 and 28, which teeth are adapted tocooperate with pinions 22 and 24 flxedly secured to a longitudinallyextending shaft 28 provided with a knurled hand wheel 28 at its outerextremity. The shaft 28 is rotatably journaled in side frame 38, theother side frame 32 being fixed with relation to its supporting base. Itwill therefore be seen that rotation of the vknurled hand wheel 2lcauses the side frame 88 together with the elements supported thereby tomove toward or away from side frame 82.

Secured to side frame 32 is a wrapper support 34 and a wrapper guide 38is adjustably posi- 5 tioncd at the rear thereof by means of a slidablebracket 38 which may be secured in any adjusted position with referenceto supporting frame 82 by means of the wing nut 48. One or both sides ofthe wrapper support may be provided with a l0 side wrapper guide 42 toaid in positioning a stack of wrappers in proper relation to the rest ofthe mechanism.

When the side frame member 38 is drawn toward its opposite frame member32 it slides unl5 derneath the wrapper support. Each of the side framemembers 38 and 32 is shaped to provide a trough or channel, broadlyindicated in Figure 2 by the numeral 44, extending transversely acrossthe machine. Pairs of oppositely disposed chan- 20 nel guides 48 and 48are secured toeach of the side frame members and are so arranged as totelescope one over another when the space between the side frame membersis reduced by rotating the hand wheel 28. This feature is 25 clearlyillustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. Wrapper guides 88 areassociated with channel guides 48 by pin and slot connections asindicated at 82 so that the said guides are adjustable.

Telescoping channel bottom members 84 and 30 88 are secured to the sideframe members in such manner that they telescope in the mannerheretofore described with relation to the channel guides 48 and 48.

End folding mechanisms of identical structure 35 are associated with theends of the channel or trough, being supported respectively by framemembers 38 and 32, and comprise end folders consisting of wings 58 and88 inclined in a direction substantially normal to each other and 40pivoted substantially at their intersection upon a pin 62 journaled inears 84 which extend up.- wardly from the bottoms of the channel. A pin88 journaled in a bracket 68 secured to each side frame member at thebase of the channel func- 45 tions as a pivotal support for an auxiliaryend folder 18.

Auxiliary end folder 18 is normally urged toward its most inwardposition, as shown in Figure 5, by a spring 12. A one-way connectionpro- 50 vided by lateral arms 14 and 18 extending from pins 62 and 88respectively transmits the spring tension to the winged end folders andnormally retains them in the position indicated in Figure 5, the bottomwing 58' being raised lsomewhat 55 and 48 are movable in order to centerthe article to be wrapped in relation with other parts. Each pair, inaddition, is provided lwith pin and slot connections as indicated at tosecure the telescoping guides in any relative position to which they aremoved by means of the hand wheel 28. Each channel of each pair ofchannel guides 48 and 48 is provided with a slot 82 for a purpose to bebrought out hereinafter.

Pivoted to side frames 80 and 32 respectively at 84 and 86 by means ofarms 88 and 90 are socalled side end folders 92 and 94. Actuating link96 is pivotally secured to arm 88 as indicated at 98 and is connected bya lost-motion connection .provided by slot |00 with a pin |02 extendinglaterally from arm below its pivot point.

Links |04 are pivotally connected as at |08 to frame ears |08 and arepivotally connected at ||0 to the ends of actuating links 98. Anoperating bar ||2 is flxedly secured to the upper end of one link |04and is slidably supported at its other end in the bracket 4 which issecured in some suitable fashionto the end of the opposite link |04, asindicated at ||8. Some suitable mechanism, such as coil springs ||8,functions to yieldably retain the side end folders 92 and 94 inwithdrawn position as illustrated in Figure 2. Inasmuch as the mechanismillustrated herein has been described as particularly adapted for use inwrapping bread loaves, the operation of the device will be describedaccordingly. Av wrapper sheet is first withdrawn by the operator fromthe wrapper support 84 and positioned across the channel `44, the guide80 functioning to properly center the wrapper. over the channel. Thebread loaf is preferably inverted and positioned over the center of thewrapper sheet. I'he bread is then dropped or lowered into the channel44, auxiliary end folders 10 and bifurcated end folders 80 being in theposition illustrated in Figure 5' at the beginning of this operation. Asthe bread. with its wrapper descends into the channel, the protrudingends of the wrapping sheet, which is of course of substantially greaterlength than the bread loaf being wrapped, are contacted by auxiliary endfolders 10 which function to form an initial upward tuck t along thecenter of the lowermost portion of the wrapper ends. cause it to contactwings 58 of the end folders 80. These are forced intohorizontal positionwith continued lowering of the article, thereby forcing the bifurcatedend folders 80 up against the projecting ends of thel wrapper to therebycomplete the tuck started initially by the auxiliary end folders andhold the bottom edge of the wrapping paper up against the ends of thebread. During this inward movement of the end folders the auxiliary endfolders 'l0 have been forced outwardly against the resistance of spring12 by the one-way connection hitherto described to thereby get the sameout of the operators way. Channel guides 48 and 48 form the wrappersheet around the sides of the loaf as it descends to the bottom Furtherlowering of the article will of the channel 44. The sides of saidwrapper sheet are lapped over the loaf manually as indicated at I afterthe loaf with its wrapper has descended'to the bottom of the channel.The bread and wrapper at this stage of the operation is most clearlyillustrated by Figure 3 taken in conjunction with Figure 6.

The operator then leans against bar ||2, or exerts pressure against thesame in some other way, thereby moving links |04 to operate actuatinglinks 98, which -in turn force the side end folders 92 and 94 at eachend of the bread loaf inwardly to perform their intended function. It isto be noted that movement of the side end folders does not beginsimultaneously, side end folders 92 being started on their inwardmovement immediately upon movement of link |04 and side end folders 94lagging somewhat behind in their initial movement by virtue of thelostmotlon connection at |00l02. It will therefore be seen that movemento f bar ||2 first forces inwardly side end folders 92 to force one sideend flap f of the wrapper inwardlyl against the end of the bread, theother side end folders 94 coming in subsequently on continued movementof the bar ||2 to force the other side end flap j' inwardly against theend of the bread. This phase of the operation is most clearly indicatedby Figure 4 of the drawings.

Each pair of side end folders 92 and 94 are offset in such way that thetwo overlap when the side end folding operation is completed. The

operator then folds down the top end flaps 1n manually and grasps theends of the bread through the openings provided by the bifurcations inend folder wings 80. Grasping the wrapped loaf in this way retains theother flaps properly ffolded. Release of pressure on bar ||2 permitsside end folders 82 and 94 to -return to idle position as shown inFigure 2, leaving the wrapped loaf in position for removal. The operatorcan then remove the package for sealing.

As hitherto stated the length of the channel may be varied by drawing inthe side frame 88 through operation of hand wheel 28. The width of thechannel may be variably adjusted through the adjustability of guidechannels 48 and 48. Wrappers of various sizes may be accuratelypositioned on the wrapper support 84 through the adjustability ofguides` 38 and 50. It will be apparent that on withdrawal of the wrappedarticle from the channelv 44, spring 12 will force the auxiliary endfolders I0 inwardly from the position illustrated in Figure 6, forcingthe bifurcated end folders back into the position illustrated in Figure5 through the one-way connection afforded by arms '|4 and |8.

As has been hitherto indicated, the gist of this invention resides inthe semi-automatic features described and the arrangement wherebyvarious operations are performed in timed relation to one another toobtain most effective and rapid wrapping action by the operator. Variousmodiflcations of the specific mechanical movements whereby thesesuccessive timed operations are obtained will be manifest to thoseskilled in the art and for that reason I wish to limit-myself onlywithin the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A semi-automatic wrapping machine including in combination frameworkproviding a trough for receiving the article to be wrapped and a wrappersupport adjacent the top thereof, auxiliary end folders opposltelydisposed at the ends lll tuck in the prolonged bottom sldes of a wrap`into the trough for drawing end olding portions inwardly to completesaid inward tuck, and side end folders movable in a plane normal to thatof the end folders for tucking in the side naps formed by the end tucks.

2. A semi-automatic' wrapping machine including in combination frameworkproviding a trough for receiving the article to be wrapped and a wrappersupport adjacent the top thereof, auxiliary end folders oppositelydisposed at the ends of the trough operable to form an initial inwardtuck in the prolonged bottom sides of a wrapping sheet previously placedunder the article, end folders similarly disposed including means autofmatically operable on descent of the article into the trough for drawingend folding portions inwardly to complete said inward tuck,'side endfolders movable in a plane normal to that of the .end folders fortucking in the side flaps formed by the end tucks, and a single manuallyoperable means for actuating said side end folders.

3. A wrapping machine including in combination framework providing atrough for receiving the article to be wrapped and a wrapper supportadjacent the top thereof, auxiliary end folders oppositely disposed atthe ends of the trough and operable to form an initial inward tuck inthe prolonged bottom sides of a Wrapping sheet previously placed underthe article, end folders similarly disposed including'meansautomatically op` erable on descent of the article into the trough fordrawing end folding portions inwardly to complete said inward tuck,means connecting said auxiliary end folders and said end foldersrespectively whereby the former are moved outwardly as the end folderscomplete the inward tuck,` and side end folders movable in a planenormal to that of thel end folders for tucklng in the side flaps formedby the end tucks, said 'connections between the auxiliary end foldersand end folders including means for automatically returning the same totheir initial position on removal of the wrapped article.

4. A wrapping machine including in combination framework providing atrough for receiving the article to be wrapped, bifurcated end foldersoperable inwardly automatically on-descent of an article having awrapper previously placed thereunder to form endtucks along the bottomof said article, and means operable by a single member for successivelytucking the two side end flaps thus formed at each end against the endof said article.

5. A wrapping machine including in combina- I tion a supporting frame,vertically disposed side frames positioned thereby in substantiallyparallel spaced relation, means for moving one side frame with referenceto the other, and means associated with said side frame membersproviding a substantially rectangular trough adapted to receive anarticle to be wrapped, said means including telescoping side channel andbottom members secured to the oppositely disposed side frames.

6. A wrapping machine including in combination a supporting frame,vertically disposed side frames positioned thereby in substantiallyparallel spaced relation, means for moving one side frame with referenceto the other, means associated with said side frame members providing asubstantially rectangular trough adapted to receive an article to` bewrapped, said means including telescoping side channel and bottommembers secured to the oppositely disposed side frames, and A means foradjustably positioning the channel side members to vary the width ofsaid trough.

7.. In combination with a wrapping machine having a troughlikevdepository for the article to be wrapped, end folders comprisingintersecting wingsv inclined substantially normally to each other andpivoted along substantially their intersectioni a bifurcation in theupstanding wing of said end folder, an auxiliary end folder ofsubstantially greater height than said bifurcated wing pivoted about anaxis substantially parallel to that of said end folder and adapted toswing through the bifurcation therein, yieldable means normallyretaining said auxiliary end folder at its innermost position, and aconnection between said auxiliary end folder and said end folder troughoperablet'o form an initial inward tuck y in the prolonged bottom sidesof a wrapping sheet previously placed under the article, end folderssimilarly disposed including means automatically operable on descent ofthe article into the trough for drawing end folding portions inwardly tocomplete said inward tuck, and side end folders movable in a planenormal to that of the end folders for tucking in the side naps formed bythe end tucks.

